AFU advances near Bakhmut and in the west of Zaporizhzhya region, The National Guard of Russia recruits ex-mercenaries of PMC "Wagner" - ISW

The Ukrainian Defense Forces advanced in the Bakhmut direction and achieved successes in the area of Klishchiivka and Andriivka. The defenders also recaptured almost five square kilometers, particularly south of Robotyne and west of Verbove.

Meanwhile, Russia has started recruiting former mercenaries of the PMC "Wagner" from among the convicts to serve in the Guard of Russia: they are sent to "guard strategic facilities" in the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine. This is discussed in an analytical piece by the Institute for the Study of War (ISW).

On September 11, the Ukrainian Defense Forces continued their counteroffensive in Donetschyna and Zaporizhzhya and made advances near Bakhmut, as well as near Robotyne and Verbove.

Having analyzed official statements of the Ukrainian military, ISW noted that during the last week the Defense Forces liberated 2 square kilometers of territory in the Bakhmut direction and achieved successes in the area of Klishchiivka (6 km southwest of Bakhmut) and Andriivka (9 km southwest of Bakhmut).

Ukrainian troops also have successes in the west of the Zaporizhzhya region. According to Ukraine's Deputy Defense Minister Anna Malyar, during the week, a total of 4.8 square kilometers were recaptured in the Tavria operational area, particularly south of Robotyne (10 km southeast of Orikhiv) and west of Verbove (20 km southeast of Orikhiv).

Meanwhile, Russia has its own atmosphere. One of the opposition Russian media reported the day before, on September 11, that former mercenaries of PMC Wagner, recruited there from places of imprisonment, are now being recruited into the Rosgvardiya. Thus, ISW suggests, the Russian Federation plans to solve two problems at once: to subordinate the remnants of PMCs to the authorities and to strengthen Russia's internal security apparatus.

"The Russian opposition publication Important Stories reported on September 11 that relatives of former Wagner fighters who had previously served prison sentences said that some of their relatives had received invitations to serve in the Rosgvardia after a series of tests and certifications. The publication noted that the Rosgvardia is asking former Wagner fighters to undergo security checks and provide documents on the official pardon of those serving their sentences, as well as documents on their contracts with Wagner," ISW analysts wrote.

The journalists also talked to a Rosgvardiya serviceman from Moscow, who said that his unit is staffed by former fighters of this PMC, including those without experience in the regular army.

At the same time, according to another interlocutor of the publication, a Rosguard officer from Rostov-on-Don, such "recruits" from his unit are transferred to the temporarily occupied territories of Ukraine to protect "strategic facilities".

"The Rosgvardia's possible active recruitment of former Wagner fighters is noteworthy against the backdrop of recent efforts by the Russian leadership to strengthen the Rosgvardia's role as an internal security body following the June 24 Wagner armed rebellion. ISW previously reported on the transfer of Grom units (elite special anti-drug units of the Russian Interior Ministry) and heavy weaponry to the Guard of Russia after the rebellion," the analysts summarized.

Recall, earlier ISW stated that Russian troops do not evacuate their wounded and killed from the battlefield , a fact that prompted some Russian servicemen to abandon combat missions .

But the "fresh" problems of the occupation army do not end with this. The occupants of the "Rusich" sabotage and assault reconnaissance group also complained that the range and accuracy of Russian counter-battery warfare is inferior to Ukrainian capabilities, and the Russian forces lack laser-guided Krasnopol shells and UAVs for their guidance.

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